


Blooming Phacelia

by Wired_Prophet



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, actually because the episodes are distressing, cecil tries to be badass with his motorcycle, high school au because why not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-21
Updated: 2014-05-24
Packaged: 2018-01-25 18:03:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1657466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wired_Prophet/pseuds/Wired_Prophet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school student Carlos Cinerea is a junior and science enthusiast who has moved to a small desert town with his family after his mother's work transfers them to Night Vale. Soon joining a group of kids who also had recently moved to Night Vale, he befriends an intern for the local radio station. [DISCONTINUED]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. August

The sun is bright, the moon is beautiful, and road lights pass over Carlos' head as he pretends to sleep.

It is night time, and Carlos and his family are arriving to their new home in Night Vale, a small town in which they had been transferred to by his mother's company. At first, his parents had been the utmost reluctant in moving, but after offering a heavy raise, their minds quickly changed. Carlos had been only mildly unhappy with the move at most, having not many friends back in Oregon and excited to get to some warmer weather. Which is why he was confused that his parents felt the need to console him and explain things in a slow manner, it was honestly a bit demeaning. 

Soon enough, they were pulling into the driveway, and he would have to pretend to wake up to help put the things they didn't give to the movers to bring over.

Carlos got out of the car and stretched before picking up a large plastic container from the back of their family's SUV to bring into the house. He looked up at the sky, and found himself finding one of the perks of a small town, it had minimal light pollution and thus had a better view of the stars and things. Not like Oregon had a ton of light pollution or anything, but it was helpful way to transition Carlos to his new home, since he was in fact going to miss their old house.

After almost tripping twice over the same box, his father let him go to bed, not wanting him to get seriously injured so soon before school from unpacking.

* * *

It was about five days before school started when they had arrived in Night Vale. It had taken a day for the moving truck to arrive, and an extra two days to get the main rooms of the house set up, leaving him two days, Sunday and Monday, to get rest and explore the new town. On Sunday, he unpacked and slept the rest of the day, but on Monday he left his house to explore Night Vale.

It wasn't much, just as any other small burg, but it definitely had it's charm. As Carlos walked downtown, he noticed that almost all buildings had some sort of graffiti on them. Not the kind with sprawling random words, so hurried that such words were unreadable. No, this was full-blown art, oddly phrased messages that one had to take a few minutes or perhaps the rest of the day to figure out, and were most likely something judging society or the general public. And although you would expect such a small community to try and clean up the mess, instead of a city where almost no one exactly cared enough to cover it up, there were no marks of gray paint or dripping images from a previous washing. 

Another thing about the town was how close knit it was, everyone seemed to always be talking to one another. If anyone was by their own lonesome they were most likely occupied with some activity or chore. For example, when Carlos went inside a convenience store to grab something to drink, deserts being hot and all that, a group of kids his age were huddled around one of their phones whispering something about whatever video they were watching.

Carlos stared for a couple seconds before turning back to the register and sliding his tea on the counter, digging in his pocket for a couple dollars as the cashier rang him up.

"Hey," Carlos winced, "You're not from around here." He inched slightly the opposite direction of a girl from the group as she slid up next to him with what appeared to be candy.

"No, I am definitely not," He faked a smile, "Nice to meet you."

She nodded at him, "My name's Lindsay, we don't get people moving here much, so it's always refreshing to see a new face."

She seemed nice enough, "Uh, my name's Carlos, we just got here from Oregon." Lindsay set her candy on the counter.

"From Oregon?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you know, work stuff."

Lindsay nodded, "Same here, in fact all of us came here within the last couple years." She pointed to the boy downing a can of Pringles, "That's Danny," she pointed to kid with the phone they were watching the video on, "that's Sam," Lindsay finally pointed at a girl who was currently looking at them, "and that's Rachelle."

"All the new kids just hang out together?" Carlos asked.

"We just find it easier I guess," Lindsay shrugged. "It's not the same with the others, since they've all been here since they were practically born."

"Ah, well," Carlos glanced at the clock on the wall, just wanting to get home now. "I should get going. I can assume we're all going to the same school?"  
  
"Yeah everyone goes to the Night Vale schools. The only other school within fifty miles is Desert Bluffs, which is in well....." Lindsay displayed a look of disgust. "Desert Bluffs." 

"Nice, okay. Um well, hopefully I'll see you there," He said, "Maybe we can hang out or whatever."

"Okay, sounds good." She said as he walked out of the store.

* * *

 The next day Carlos walked to school, his mother giving him a kiss before went to work and his father giving him a wave out the door while he was cleaning up the kitchen. Although they had only been there for a week, Carlos had to admit things were getting comfortable in his house and in the town. He had blasted his music on the way to school, it wasn't playing for long but it was still nice in the cool, sunny morning.

 When he arrived at the high school, he didn't see the group he had had encountered with the previous day. Normally, he'd start to talk to some of the people here, not knowing anyone from a previous year was a disadvantage as the group had mentioned, not wanting to seem awkward with his new peers. Soon enough, the bell had rung and they had to get their schedule sheets and go to their classes.

First period, was trigonometry, a course that Carlos had expected and succeeded in predicting that it would not be too much of a challenge. Although the teacher would often stop in the middle of the lesson and start murmuring about things that class couldn't hear, it just made it easier and let Carlos get a bit ahead in notes. Second period, was Ancient Sumerian, which Carlos didn't remember signing up for or even seeing on the sign up sheet. He didn't really see the point of 'Ancient' Sumerian, as if there's a 'Modern' Sumerian. The rest of his classes were usual, along with his teachers ranging from sloppy to brilliant, like any other school.

It wasn't until lunch when things started to get a bit weird.

Carlos had found most of the group at lunch, except for Danny, who apparently had a different lunch. They were kind enough to him, and he found that they seemed to have a general liking for science along with him. They were rude at times such as most teenagers were, but Carlos fit in well enough.

"Seriously, it's gotten worse. Did you hear hear the way Mrs. Tramer was droning on in the middle of class? She's just deranged at this point." Sam said.

"Yeah, I think she needs help or something." Lindsay replied.

Carlos rolled his eyes at the comment, "She's a high school trig teacher, you can only work a job here for so long before you begin to lose it a bit."

They chuckled and continued on with Viola about some English teacher he didn't have, when he felt someone looking at him, like he was being watched. Carlos turned around and saw a boy staring at him from another table. He had glasses with some sort of mark on the bridge along with a motorcycle helmet on the table, whom appeared to be sitting with a another kid in an old boy scout cap, but no other scout apparel, and a girl who appeared to be a freshman. Carlos began to look back before the boy noticed him returning the stare, going back to talk with his scout friend with wide eyes.

Carlos nudged Sam, nodding towards the boy, "Who's that?"

"Oh, that's Cecil Palmer. Not a bad guy I think, don't actually talk to him much. Why?"

"Oh, um, nothing. Don't worry about." Carlos waved it off and returned to his sandwich and their conversation.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah." 

* * *

It wasn't until a week after when Carlos actually wanted to know what was with this Cecil guy. He had his gaze a couple times, and then found himself actively trying to catch it, hoping the other boy would keep his glares to himself. Cecil had since stopped letting his eyes wander, but today Carlos had saw him at it  _again_.

"Seriously, what is with that guy?" Carlos said to Joel, a slightly cocky teenager whom he had become acquainted with.

Joel raised an eyebrow a the question, "Who?"

" _Cecil_ , he's been staring at me all the time since I got here. Do you know what's his problem?"

"Oh, man, I thought you knew by now. He totally has it up for you, according to Earl he won't shut up about it." He snickered quietly.

Carlos winced smiled awkwardly, that was one way to put it. "Are you sure? I don't think I'm getting that sort of feel from him."

Joel patted him on the back, "Ah, young love," He mocked, "Trust me on this one, Carly, if I didn't know I wouldn't tell."

"Don't ever call me Carly again."

"Okay, sure, but can I ask if you are getting any of this fuckin' worksheet...?"

* * *

"What is Cecil even like?"

"He's okay I guess, but will you  _shut up_ about it?"

Sam laughed, "Sorry, it just hard to believe Cecil of all people has a boner for Carlos."

"Why's that?" Carlos questioned, still uncomfortable with the phrasing.

"Well, I just was sure he was with Earl."

"Um, no, Earl wants to be with Cecil, not the other way around." Rachelle said.

"I don't care, can we just stop talking about it?"

"Yeah, agreed. I just want to know why his brother just got arrested again." Lindsay butted in before it could get any further.

"He has a brother?" Asked Carlos.

"More like evil twin, they look almost exactly the same." Answered Sam.  
  
"With more orange spray tan." Lindsay added.

"I thought I covered that when I said evil. Anyway, I heard he was caught dealing crack."

"Oh shut up, he probably stole a keychain or whatever. He's supposed to be out by next Thursday."

Carlos tuned them out, tired of hearing about the Palmer family. He focused more on his phone rather than his friends for a bit, letting his mind wander to the Invisible Clock Tower that he'd heard about recently. Truth was it wasn't actually a tower, rather just an old fashioned pole with a clock at the top which had recently turned out missing. Although some of the kids in class had suggested it wasn't stolen, but rather invisible. Of course the police had ignored the many statements suggesting such and continued looking for the missing clock pole. Carlos had decided after this event that one of the disadvantages of this being a small town, was that people got bored and try, keyword "try", to start up trouble.


	2. September

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos is welcomed by one of Night Vale's oddities, and is partnered with a certain someone for a project.

Recently, Carlos has found out about the Faceless Old Woman.

At least that's what his friends called her. She was really just the landlady over most of the homes in Night Vale, and no one ever sees her face. Carlos didn't know how she got ownership over almost all the residential area, but that's how it was, and it was a hell of a lot cheaper to just rent one out rather than buy or build.

He had first found out about the featureless householder when he noticed that he kept finding his laptop in the living room. Even when he hadn't used it before he left for school, or even if he had it crammed in some random corner of his closet, he would always find it on the ottoman. When Joel and him were walking to the high school, Carlos had brought it up,

"I think there's a ghost in my house, I keep finding my stuff around the house even though I don't put it there."

Joel shrugged, "It's probably the Faceless Old Woman."

Carlos raised his eyebrows, "Excuse me?"

"Y'know, the rent person."

He blinked, "Joe, that doesn't answer anything."

"Well, she like never actually talks to anybody, just leaves notes around. In about third grade someone made up that it's because she doesn't have a face, so it just stuck." He chewed quietly on his gum.

"What does that have to do wi- Wait what are you saying?"

"She comes in and moves stuff around. She doesn't take anything though, so it's really nothing to worry about."

Carlos stood for second, silent, before saying. "Isn't that illegal!? She can't just come in and mess with people's stuff." He looked irritably ahead. 

"Um, do you not know what landlord means? She owns like two-thirds of the neighborhood." Joel kicked Carlos' shoe, "It's been a month, you should know this already, man."

He rolled his eyes. Yes Carlos, a whole thirty days, hurry it up, he thought to himself sarcastically, "Thanks, I'll brush up on the official Night Vale handbook. What I want to know is how to get her to stop."

"If she's not hurting anything, I dunno why you should. Also you should actually look at the handbook again."

Carlos sighed with exasperation, stepping faster on the sidewalk. "Come on, we should hurry up, we're gonna be late." Joel quickened his pace behind him.

* * *

 

Later when he got home from school, Carlos got out a sticky note.

 

" _Stop moving my stuff, it's incredibly irritating, useless, and privacy invading._ "

 

* * *

The next morning when Carlos woke up, he noticed his room was looking particularly... Empty.

When he emerged into the living room, still in shorts and a t-shirt since half his wardrobe was missing, there were clothes strewn around the room. That wasn't it though, there was also an old blanket draped leisurely on the couch, a Rubix cube on the side table, a poster of the periodic table which had been previously hanging was slightly crumpled on the floor, and of course, his laptop was on the ottoman.

"Yes, yes, I love you too, see you after wor-" Carlos' mother turned around to the living room after leaving the bedroom, only to stop and gain the most bewildered look on her face. "Carlos! What did you do?"

"Erm," He chewed on his lip as he looked over at a pair of pants on the floor, trying to come up with some excuse. He did not look back up at his mother, knowing her confusion would soon turn to anger, then to some rant about selfishness or something like that. Carlos breathed in a quick breath of air as he thought of something, looking back at his mother.

"I-I don't know," He looked around the room, "I just woke up and found it all here. I think, I think I might have been sleepwalking."

His mother's face twisted into a face of even  _more_ confusion and disbelief. She shook her head and waved her hand, "Sure okay, just have it cleaned up before you leave, I have to go." Her shoes clicked on the floor as she left, closing the door a bit firmly on the way out.

Carlos sighed in relief and began hurriedly cleaning up the mess, he could skip breakfast today. After removing all the close and throwing them in a pile in his room, he picked up his laptop and began to carry it back to his room, when another sticky note fell from it. Carlos picked it up,

 

" _Don't be rude._ "

 

He politely folded the note and set it on his laptop, getting the message.

* * *

"So yeah, that's what happened."

Lindsay shook her head, "That's what you get for messing with the Faceless Old Woman."

"Okay sure, but doesn't she have a name? I mean," Carlos ate a piece of some pasta, "Wouldn't someone get tired of being called old and faceless?"

Rachelle shook her head too, "I haven't heard about her taking any offense to it."

Carlos continued eating his pasta as Rachelle and Lindsay went back to small conversation. These people are crazy, he thought, shit, this whole town is crazy. He wondered how long it would take for him to become crazy.

Sam nudged him, smirking, "Hey, you know who you should talk to?" Apparently not long.

"No." He said plainly, drinking milk and looked away to get himself to appear distracted and disinterested. He immediately regretted the decision, since he hated milk with a passion.

" _Cecil,_ " Sam whispered.

He frowned at them. "When I said no, I meant no to anything you were suggesting or trying to get me to suggest."

"Oh come ooon," Sam leaned on their hand, "We want to see you at least try."

"Why are you all trying to use me for your entertainment?"

Sam shrugged innocently, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Carlos groaned, "If I pay you twenty bucks will you stop talking to me about it?"

"Wouldn't you rather have me pay you ten to go talk to him?"

"Are you going to shut up or not?" Carlos put the money on the table.

Sam chuckled and took it, happy they got money out of doing pretty much nothing, and Carlos content that he got some relief from at least one person's intrusiveness.

* * *

It was about a week later when Carlos finally decided to call his sister, Lucia, back in Oregon. She was about twenty-four and had a place of her own with her boyfriend when they left for Arizona, but they promised to come back for holidays and all of the such, so all was well. Carlos didn't exactly miss having her around, since she had been out of the house for the most part of five years, but she was still nice to talk to and get advice from.

"So, is it as hot as they say in Arizona?" Lucia asked.

"Yep, not a proper fir tree anywhere."

She hummed, "Sounds nice, it's getting kinda rainy over here."

"I don't know, I think we need some rain over here or something, I swear to god everything's dead."

"Speaking of being dead, why haven't you called me sooner? It's been almost two months!" She spoke with no real agitation.

"Oh you know..." Carlos trailed off for a second, "School, people, that sort of stuff."

Lucia laughed, "Well that sucks for you, you're going to have to tell me  _everything_  now. It's what you get for not calling for so long."

Carlos smiled amusingly, he had actually wanted to talk to someone not under the influence of Night Vale. "There's not much to talk about," He lied, "Where do you want me to start?"

"Have you found a boyfriend yet?"

Carlos' smile disappeared, "Let's not talk about that."

"Too late, Carlito, you're gonna have to tell me everything now." He could hear her grinning evilly through the phone.

He braved himself to talk as fast as possible. "Fine, whatever. There's this guy who wants to date me and everyone I know is trying to get me with him, but I don't know the guy so it's weird. Not to mention I had to pay someone to shut the hell up about it."

"Eh, that's what you get for a town with a population of ten thousand."

"But besides that, not much else," He decides to leave out the landlady and the stolen clock pole. "So, how are you and Nathan?"

That set her off. Lucia began to talk about her new job and how her boyfriend and her have been having "scuffles," but it's all a part of "becoming domestic." Honestly, Carlos could care less, though idly listening to his sister sounded better than talking about Night Vale and it's nonsense.

* * *

_Carlos; Cecil_

Carlos groaned quietly, trying to make his displeasure with the situation not obvious after he read the whiteboard. Of course, of course, of course he had been signed up with Cecil for a project. If the students wouldn't stay away from him about it, why would the teacher? What was he expecting, to be left alone? He should have been anticipating it. He could already see the other boy walking over to sit next to him. Luckily, there were only a few minutes of class left, so Carlos wouldn't have to talk much to Cecil at all.

"Um," Cecil started, setting his books on the table, all together in preparation to leave. "Hi." He greeted.

"Hello," Carlos said, not looking at him.

"So, uh, I'm sure you've heard a a lot about me and y'know," Cecil shifted in his seat, "What I said.... Sorry, it was a bit extreme."

Then he whipped his head towards Cecil, "Wait, wha-" The bell had already conveniently rang, cutting him off, and motorcycle boy was already on his way out.

On his way to his last period, Carlos leaned against the wall and quickly took his phone out, texting Joel.

_What did he say?_

He texted back, _Who?_

_You know who._

There was a lasting pause between that and the next message.

_I'll explain later._


End file.
